
Most area residents are likely unaware of White Rock, British Columbia, unless they’ve taken the train to Vancouver. Then they would have passed right through town along the two-mile-plus coastline promenade. They could see the claimed “longest ocean pier in Canada” and the 486-ton namesake glacial erratic rock — originally whitened by shorebirds, now regularly adorned by the townspeople.
A smaller Canadian version of our Birch Bay, White Rock even gets busy on current weekends when they are sunny (a 180-degree Canadian sunset) albeit near freezing. Worth a day trip, it’s the first exit west after the Peace Arch but lodging is readily available.
Chippers (Irish slang for a fish-and-chip shop) are plentiful. Moby Dick’s was deserving of a repeat takeout visit to watch the college football championship game. Hike to the top of the hill to Laura’s Cafe, a decadent bakery for icing on the trip and the immense cinnamon roll, eh?
— Story and photos by Kevin O’Keeffe
The people of White Rock always make a point of waving to the train as it goes by, especially in summer when there are hundreds of people on the beach.